#Irish Rugby

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

donal%20lenihan%20colour
SDonal Lenihan: Farrell’s selection shake‑up sends clear message after Paris setback
Six Nations Podcast: Ireland v Italy preview
Six Nations Podcast: Ireland v Italy preview
Simon Lewis and Brendan O’Brien dig into a very interesting Ireland team selection ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations game at home to Italy. Rotation? Not a bit of it.

 Listen | Fri, 13 Feb, 2026

 Listen |
Andy Farrell 12/2/2026
S Ronan O’Gara: Perspective is the first casualty of crisis talk
The Azzurri may come to Dublin with their tails up, but Andy Farrell's men will be cranky. 

Fri, 13 Feb, 2026

Ireland Rugby Media Conference
Regeneration project means fans will have to endure 'a little bit of pain' says Farrell
If nothing else, Farrell’s selection highlights that no player is ever untouchable, with van der Flier the most prominent fall guy and the head coach insisting he is not rotating with a trip to face England at Twickenham to follow seven days later

Fri, 13 Feb, 2026

Ireland Rugby Media Conference
How many cards has Andy Farrell left to play as Ireland head coach?
If the new set up clicks then the brains trust can look at lubricating the wheels of change even more come the summer. More of the same stutters and the questions and doubts only multiply

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

Craig Casey dejected after the match 5/2/2026
Six Nations: Craig Casey starts as one of six Irish changes for Italian clash
Farrell has made six changes to the starting 15 that lost to France last Thursday

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

Joe McCarthy 10/2/2026
'It does eat away at you' - Joe McCarthy and Ireland eager to atone for Paris
Opening the Six Nations on a Thursday night did at least give the Ireland squad a greater degree of room to breathe before reconvening this week for Italy’s visit to Dublin. McCarthy used his down time by playing PlayStation with his brother Paddy.

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

Italy v Ireland - Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship
S Reasons to be fearful for Ireland: The Azzurri are whipping boys no more
They couldn't, could they? After their respective opening round showings, few are putting Saturday's meeting of Ireland Italy in the home and hosed category now

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

Italy v Ireland - Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship
S Donal Lenihan: Italy come to Dublin with a whiff of upset in their nostrils
Given what transpired at the Stade de France, Gonzalo Quesada’s men will travel to Dublin without any inhibitions.

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

Ethan Roots and Bryn Ward 6/2/2026
Confident Bryn Ward ready to make another step up for Ireland if needed
Bryn Ward's rise has been rapid this season. It's just five months since he made his Ulster debut. He's now part of the Ireland Six Nations squad

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

Ireland v Japan - Quilter Nations Series 2025
Ireland coach dismisses decline talk but wants more top-level exposure for young players
"I'd love players to get exposed more often," said Ireland scrum coach John Fogarty. "But it's difficult when you've got four teams."

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

John Fogarty 10/2/2026
Ireland players must understand 'what 100 per cent looks like' to kickstart Six Nations campaign
Italy come to Dublin on Saturday as Andy Farrell's side bid to get up and running.

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Italy v Ireland - Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship
Ireland v Italy in the Six Nations: Kick-off time, TV details, team news and everything you need to know
Andy Farrell's side will be looking to bounce back from their loss to France in Paris on the opening night.

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Munster v Dragons - United Rugby Championship
Meet the first woman to take charge of a Six Nations match when Ireland face Italy
The 33-year-old Scot has overcome misogyny and abuse and is justifiably proud of becoming the first woman to take charge of a men’s Six Nations match.

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Italy v Scotland - Guinness Men's Six Nations - Stadio Olimpico
Six Nations on road to perdition unless chastening Celtic wake-up call is heeded
Championship risks becoming a two-tier affair as Ireland, Wales and Scotland all lose on the opening weekend.

Mon, 09 Feb, 2026

Michael Milne with friends and family after the match 5/2/2026
Bruised but not broken: Ireland look to reset after Paris punishment
After a heavy loss to France, Ireland regroup ahead of Italy as Michael Milne urges belief and a fast response

Mon, 09 Feb, 2026

Theo Attissogbe attempts to tackle Stuart McCloskey 5/2/2026
Andy Farrell: Ireland didn't lack composure, they lacked grunt
Thursday’s Guinness Six Nations 36-14 defeat to France was the latest setback for an Ireland squad that has fallen off the pace set by world rugby’s elite through a series of worrying results.

Sat, 07 Feb, 2026

Shane Daly and Ben Bamber 6/2/2026
England 'A' canter to Thomond Park victory over Ireland XV
Two Irish tries in reply did little to halt the English, in what was viewed as an opportunity for fringe players to stake a claim for frontline inclusion during the Six Nations.

Fri, 06 Feb, 2026

Munster v Barbarians - Representative Match
Ex-Munster man Jack Daly earns two-year deal with Western Force
Western Force head coach Simon Cron said Jack Daly has "earned a lot of respect from the players for his work ethic and approach to the game"

Fri, 06 Feb, 2026

Six Nations Podcast: Does French lesson in Paris mark the end of a golden era?
Six Nations Podcast: Does French lesson in Paris mark the end of a golden era?
Brendan O’Brien and Simon Lewis reflect on a long dark night for Ireland at the Stade de France after an opening Six Nations defeat to the hosts.

 Listen | Fri, 06 Feb, 2026

 Listen |
Dan Kelly scores a try 30/1/2026
Dan Kelly: 'I'd almost forgotten what it was like to play with the shackles off'
It’s not that there isn’t structure to what Kelly has found on this side of the Irish Sea. There is. It just isn’t anything like the structure he experienced back at Tigers.

Fri, 06 Feb, 2026

France v Ireland - Guinness 6 Nations Rugby Championship
S Ronan O'Gara: Ramos on a different level as the misery rained down on Ireland in Paris
Ireland had a midfield penalty in the second period and Prendergast didn't get the distance his forwards desperately needed to get their teeth into. It could have been 29-21 and now Ireland could test their pulse.

Fri, 06 Feb, 2026

Ronan O'Gara speaks to the media after the match 18/1/2026
Ronan O'Gara facing increase in touchline ban after appeal
The La Rochelle head coach was initially given a fortnight's ban  and a fine.

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

Ireland Rugby Captain's Run
Andy Farrell urges Ireland to disrupt French dazzle
The head coach wants his players to lean into Antoine Dupont and his defending champions on Thursday night.

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

Ireland Rugby Captain's Run
Doris and Ireland eager to deliver performance to inspire the nation 
The 2026 Guinness Six Nations gets underway on French soil with Ireland unfancied underdogs to defeat the defending champions who ended their reign as back-to-back titleholders. 

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

Munster v Dragons - United Rugby Championship
Six capped players start for Ireland XV against England A
Leinster backrow Max Deegan will captain the team

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

Ireland Rugby Squad Training
Ronan O'Gara: Ireland's 10 conversation has turned nasty
The legendary out-half fears the suffocating fear of Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley or even Harry Byrne fouling up an opportunity in green is doing neither them or Irish rugby any good.

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

Andy Farrell 3/2/2026
'Hopefully this experience will stand to us' - Andy Farrell relishing new-look Ireland's challenge in France
The Ireland boss saw no point in sugar-coating the situation as he announced his team in the French capital on Tuesday.

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

A view of the Men’s Six Nations Championship Trophy 26/1/2026
S Six Nations 2026: team-by-team guide to the tournament 
Ireland and France will get the campaign under way in Paris on Thursday night.

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

A view of the Men’s Six Nations Championship Trophy 26/1/2026
Underdogs and overhyped: The big questions ahead of Six Nations kick-off
Thursday night is this French squad’s date with destiny. The French public have had an underwhelming experience since the trauma of the World Cup, last year’s title notwithstanding. 

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

Colm Tucker arrives ahead of the match 31/1/2026
Tucker calls on Ireland XV charges to embrace England 'A' challenges
Cullie Tucker’s squad will have just two pitch sessions behind them come kick-off.

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

Jeremy Loughman 29/1/2025
'Impressive' Loughman has 'all the attributes' to succeed at Test level, insists Farrell
The loss of three looseheads in advance of the 2026 Guinness Six Nations would give concern to any Test side but the task has fallen to the 30-year-old, whose most recent of five caps came off the bench against Italy two years ago.

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

Ireland Team Assembly Day
Six Nations: No Lowe or Furlong for Ireland but revitalised Stockdale 'buzzing' for Paris
Jeremy Loughman and Cian Prendergast also get the nod as Les Bleus welcome Ireland to the Stade de France on Thursday (8.10)

Tue, 03 Feb, 2026

Six Nations 2026 package
France v Ireland in the Six Nations: Kick-off time, TV details, team news and everything you need to know 
Andy Farrell's side will hope to start as they mean to go on in Paris on Thursday night.

Mon, 02 Feb, 2026

Joe McCarthy and Francois Cros in a line out 8/3/2025
Ireland 'in for long night' if they fail to disrupt French set-piece, says Philippe Saint-André
The former Sale, Toulon and France head coach compared Farrell’s current squad unfavourably to the team which won in Marseille in 2024 but the former French captain also outlined the potential unpredictability of the 2026 Six Nations campaign

Mon, 02 Feb, 2026

Michael Milne 1/2/2026
Munster duo Loughman and Milne going head-to-head for loosehead berth
Milne, who is set to turn 27 on matchday this week, made his Test debut last summer against Georgia, earning his second cap the following week in Portugal having joined Munster from Leinster, initially on loan, last April.

Mon, 02 Feb, 2026

Simon Easterby 1/2/2026
Easterby 'excited' by challenge of facing Dupont under Paris lights
Ireland take on Les Bleus in the tournament opener on Thursday evening. 

Mon, 02 Feb, 2026

Ireland Rugby Squad Training and Media Conference
Jack Conan: Ireland must lean on learnings from previous visits to France
From the stage fright under the lights at Stade de France in 2022 to the perfect riposte in Marseille two years later, Conan and Ireland have shown they can not only learn from their mistakes but implement those lessons to good effect. 

Sun, 01 Feb, 2026

Ireland Rugby Squad Training and Media Conference
Michael Milne: Gym sessions? 'You're remembered for the games you play'
Munster's new prop Michal Milne knew he had to shake himself out of a rut at Leinster to make the most of his time in the pro game. Now he's prepping for a huge Six Nations opener in Paris.

Sat, 31 Jan, 2026

Andrew Goodman 28/1/2025
Ireland can kick on with evolving gameplan, insists 'frustrated' Goodman
Andy Farrell's side are preparing to take on France in Paris on Thursday.

Fri, 30 Jan, 2026

Sami Bishti 20/1/2026
Ireland U20s captain Sami Bishti inspired by Tadhg Furlong and Thomas Clarkson
Given he was the skipper when Blackrock won the Leinster Schools Senior Cup , it appears to be a solid choice on behalf of head coach Andrew Browne to select Bishti as Irish captain for the forthcoming U20s Six Nations Championship.

Thu, 29 Jan, 2026

Ireland Rugby Squad Training
S Aki and Keenan twin shocks may test even Andy Farrell's powers of positive thinking
Farrell placed improving discipline at the top of his list of improvements and also addressed the penalty Aki conceded for dissent at the Dexcom last Saturday, agreeing work still needed to be done with the squad on staying mentally focused

Wed, 28 Jan, 2026

Caelan Doris and Andy Farrell 26/1/2026
S Donal Lenihan: Six Nations injuries force Andy Farrell to rethink Ireland’s depth and loyalty
Injuries, emerging talent and selection risk collide as Ireland, France and England shape a defining Six Nations championship.

Wed, 28 Jan, 2026

Munster v Castres Olympique - Investec Champions Cup
Ireland in a hurry to get Edwin Edogbo up to speed
The Ireland squad begin their preparations in earnest in Portugal this week for their opening game of the championship against defending champions France in Paris on Thursday week.

Wed, 28 Jan, 2026

Will Connors 26/1/2026
Connacht confirm signing of Will Connors from Leinster, Loughman extends Munster stay
Munster prop Jeremy Loughman has signed a new contract that will keep him at the province until 2028.

Tue, 27 Jan, 2026

Latest

Mick Clifford
Mick Clifford

News

Most Read

Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited